Exotic-looking even on a map, the Mexican state of Veracruz stretches along the Gulf Coast like the graceful tentacle of a sea creature. Within the boundaries formed by the warm coastal waters to the east and the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains to the west is an enticing potpourri of cultures.

The indigenous, the Afro-Cuban and the Spanish have all contributed to the vibrant good looks, enchanting music and rich culinary traditions of the veracruzanos, or jarochos, as they often call themselves.

Long before Europeans arrived in Mexico via what is now the port city of Veracruz, the area occupied by the modern-day state of Veracruz was populated by the Olmecs, Huastecs and Totonacs. The latter were famous for cultivating vanilla and curing the pods for culinary use, adding a unique flavor to many of their dishes. The use of acuyo, often called hoja santa, also characterized the indigenous cooking of the area.

The pre-Columbian triumverate of corn, beans and squash was supplemented by a variety of tropical fruits, thanks to the area's temperate to tropical climate. In addition to the chiles, tomatoes and avocados so important in Mesoamerican cooking, papaya, mamey and zapote were cultivated. These are very popular today in the licuados and helados – milkshakes and ice cream – so dear to the hearts of jarochos.

The Spaniards gave this variety and abundance a culinary boost when they arrived by introducing parsley, thyme, marjoram, bay laurel and cilantro, as well as many of the spices that would later characterize Veracruz cooking. Anthropologist Sophie Coe says a combination of saffron, cloves, cinnamon and black pepper was pre-mixed and sold to flavor fish empanadas. The Spaniards also brought wheat, rice, almonds, olives and olive oil, garlic and capers (the last three, essential ingredients in what is perhaps the most famous specialty of the region – huachinango a la veracruzana, or red snapper in a spicy tomato sauce).

From the Carribbean islands, the Spaniards brought pineapples and sugar cane, as well as the indelible imprint of Afro-Cuban culture and cuisine. The Cuban-bought African slave who accompanied Hernan Cortes to Mexico was the first of many thousands to bring new dishes and ingredients with them. The peanut, which the Portuguese brought from Brazil to West Africa, became an ingredient in Veracruz specialties derived from West African cooking, where it was added to meat, fish and vegetable dishes and ground with spices as part of a paste-like condiment. The pollo encacahuatado (chicken in peanut sauce) served today is a direct descendant of African peanut sauces. Plantains, yucca and sweet potatoes, all important elements of West African cooking, also became firmly ensconced in the jarocho cuisine that melded the diverse flavors of three continents.

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The city of Veracruz is still an international crossroads, with cargo ships, sailors, merchant seamen and tourists from around the world enjoying its music, ambiance and signature seafood dishes. Along with the red snapper, two local favorites are Arroz a la Tumbada (a succulent rice dish baked with a variety of mariscos, or seafood), and Caldo de Mariscos (a seafood soup purported to cure a hangover).

Just 20 minutes out of town is Boca Del Rio, a once-sleepy village that is now a gastronomic center famous for culinary events and fairs. Farther south is the tropical region known as Las Tuxtlas (with such attractions as giant Olmec heads, and Cuban-style cigar factories), and Catemaco (known for its sorcerers, lake island of baboons, and fresh seafood sold in lakefront restaurants).

North, toward the state capital, is Jalapa, where snacks called picaditas and their cousins, garnachas (both thick, bean-stuffed, tortilla-like corn cakes) are sold at street stands throughout the city.

Farther north, at the beginning of the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains bordering northern Puebla, the Totonac people continue to carry out their culinary and cultural traditions, including the dance of the voladores, or flyers, in which the dancers spin from 80-foot high poles. Long known as the vanilla-producing center of Mexico, Papantla de Olarte has an attractive, and very active, zocalo (or central plaza) where fragrant figures woven of vanilla pods are sold.

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The capital city of Veracruz and the nearby town of Boca del Rio boast an impressive number of restaurants – all serving cuisine characteristic of the region.

Perhaps the most famous restaurant in the city of Veracruz, and certainly one of the oldest, is Café La Parroquia, in the heart of the central plaza area. In addition to the famous local coffee with boiled milk, (or café con leche), the Parroquia serves a wide selection of food that typifies the region's multicultural heritage. A perfect example of this is the Tortilla a la Parroquia, a classic Spanish potato omelet, usually called a tortilla española, served in a rich, dark turkey broth.

U.S. restaurants with Veracruz dishes

Any Mexican menu can benefit from the addition of a Veracruz-style dish or two.

The award-winning Olé Mexican Grill in Arlington, Mass., for example, features a variety of traditional dishes based on the culinary traditions of Veracruz, owner Ricardo Ramos says. "Our goal is to make customers think they're not in the United States, they're in Mexico," Ramous says.

In the "Our Famous Enchiladas" category, Ramos offers Gambas, enchiladas stuffed with shrimp sautéed in olive oil and garlic with a mild chipotle sauce. Appetizers include the corn tortilla garnachas topped with chihuahua cheese, onions and poblano peppers or portabello mushrooms. Main dishes with a Veracruz flavor include the Pollo al Carbon, a char-broiled boneless chicken breast topped with fresh orange salsa, chile chipotle, jalapeños, cilantro and onions, and the Camarones al Mojo de Ajo, jumbo shrimp sautéed in olive oil, garlic and mild chipotle sauce.

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